Us Weekly had the scoop last week, and now here are the photos! Mario Testino was called in to do Prince William and Kate Middleton’s formal engagement portraits, and they are really rather lovely. I love that there are two, and that Kate had a costume change. One is a formal, somewhat stuffy portrait of the two in suits – William looking royal and Kate looking rather wonderful in a white Reiss suit/dress, and in the background there’s some royal fixtures. The second one (above) is my favorite – William in a sweater and Kate in a Whistles blouse, and they’re holding each other tightly. Kate looks so, so happy. Way to go, girl! This is what she’s wanted for nine long years. Let her have her moment, y’all. Even though the biscuit factory is closed!
To go glamorous or relaxed in the world’s most-anticipated engagement photos? For Prince William and Kate Middleton, the answer was clear: both! The newly released photos – the official portrait photographs for the engagement of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton – were captured during a two-hour shoot by fashion photographer Mario Testino, who was hand-selected by the groom-to-be, 28, for the task.
“Prince William has worked with Mario Testino on many occasions before, and so the couple decided that he was the right choice for such an important portrait,” said a Clarence House spokeswoman.
Middleton, 28, did her own makeup for the photos (as she did for her televised post-engagement interview), a source tells PEOPLE, though Testino’s makeup artist was on hand for touch-ups.
And those famous tresses? The princess-to-be got her hair done by her usual stylist, James Pryce, from the Richard Ward salon.
For the formal photo – which was snapped in the historic Council Chamber linked to Clarence House, the official residence of William’s father Prince Charles – Prince William donned a Turnbull and Asser suit, while Kate chose a white Reiss dress and Links earrings. For the dressed-down denim look – taken in the Cornwall Room of St. James’s Palace – William changed into a Turnbull and Asser shirt and Brunello Cucinelli sweater, with Kate opting for a Whistles blouse.
“I am very happy to have been asked to cover this historic moment that the whole world was waiting for. They are in their prime and brimming with happiness,” says Testino, the same photographer who took iconic pictures of Princess Diana shortly before her 1997 death. “I have never felt so much joy as when I see them together.”
Those close to Middleton say the bride-to-be has taken a special interest in her appearance since she began dating the heir to the British throne eight years ago.
“Kate is always perfectly manicured, and she will have blow-dries before she goes out,” says Katie Nicholl, royal watcher and author of William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls. She adds that Middleton and William likely got their teeth whitened in advance of their Nov. 16 engagement announcement.
The pair’s April 29, 2011 nuptials should be the biggest royal event since Prince Charles married Diana in 1981.
Prince William and his commoner girlfriend, both 28, made a secret pact to marry three years ago while on vacation in the Seychelles. “Kate wanted assurances from William,” Nicholl explains. “William told Kate she was The One, but he was not ready to get married. She…agreed to wait for him.”
Another insider tells Us: “He wants to spend the rest of his life with her.”
They look really, really cute together in these photos. You know what, though? Don’t your eyes go to Kate? She’s going to outshine William so much – let’s just hope that William doesn’t have his father’s hang-ups about his wife getting so much attention.
Engagement photos courtesy of MSNBC, photos by Mario Testino.
The first pic is my favorite too. The other one is a bit too Royal.
For such a famous photographer- the formal one looks like it was done in front of a green screen!
These photos look like they were taken at a local portrait studio with a royal backdrop. Ugh!
How cute! I wish them all the best!
Her black eyeliner on the bottom lid looks like crap in the closeup photo.
They both look so happy. Good for them. I hope this huge royal marriage has a much happier ending than the last one.
Lovely photos!
She looks gorgeous in that white dress.
Love them!
I think this guy really wants his marriage to last forever. His body language seems to say that he is very protective of her, unlike his father.
@Kiki…I agree…he will never be like his dad…he has learned from the past and I believe they will have a lasting marriage. Happiness to them both!
I love the top one where he is hugging her protectively. I think Diana would be very happy about this. Hopefully, this is a lasting commitment.
They’re a great looking couple – i hope the happiness we see in their eyes lasts a long long time
Prince Hot Ginge is wayyyyyy cuter.
She is just absolutely gorgeous and they seem to make a wonderful couple. I see so much more of his mother than his father in him.
To be really frank, the official picture looks fake and Will and Kate have nothing to do with that. I felt like a bad brush of photoshop was used for these two and they didn’t even need it.
The relaxed picture is just heavenly! Congrats to both of them, I wish them a lot of happiness.
HA! biscuit factory! i still love that. and trust, if she doesn’t spread ’em, i’m sure he’ll find some tramp who will. hasn’t he already been doing that for years?
anyway, nice photos. i really do hope they can make it, but….
I prefer the second picture where they are dressed up, they both look very happy and not so posed. I have to say I don’t like the airbrushing done on the photos. William and Kate’s eyes are off-center in the hugging portrait, which makes it look awkward. Mario should have checked his shots before releasing that one – eek.
I think they’re great and I love them.
But whats up with Will’s hand in the casual one? Looks like he inherited Charles’ ugly paws.
They’re a gorgeous couple. I hope they are truly happy together.
How lovely!
This might sound loony or over-thought, but I get the impression that William inherited his mother’s warm and nurturing personality with a veneer of his father’s reserve – and he really does seem protective of Kate.
Just putting this out there, but maybe that’s a big part of why they waited 9 years? Other than the fact that there was really no rush to get married until they wanted to have lil’ royal babies.
Kate doesn’t seem boring or bland really, she just seems like a low-key woman. Probably the perfect match for a prince who clearly would rather hole up in the country than be a permanent fixture in the jet-setting party crowd.
For growing up a prince, and being shadowed by paps his whole life, he’s turned out rather well.
One thing, though – SOMEONE needs to tell Kate that her eyeliner just doesn’t work for her. Her eyes are much prettier than they appear, caked in that black eyeliner 24/7.
Looks like everyone is going soft on Waity No Longer Katie. I guess 9 years of clinging does work, after all.
William is looking more and more each day like an equine Windsor. He was so beautiful when he was a teenager. He was his mother’s son. Now, I think he has become his father’s son. We shall see.
So sweet! I wish them the very best. 🙂
I like both photos. Find it strange though that in both, you can’t really tell that her eyes are blue. (nit-picky, sure, but that’s an easy thing for a pro to define in his photos)
Love that top pic of them hugging! So sweet.
both are awful pics for the obvious reasons that some have already pointed out…
#13, Isabel: I was at dListed this morning and K thought something was missing … Prince Hot Ginge! So there’s now one with him in it. 🙂
And I love the relaxed one; lovely monochrome look. The other one? Not a good photo of him and that dress is much too bright next to the rest of the setting.
Look at Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer. William is looking more like him all the time.
She is beautiful.
I remember William being a beautiful boy too, in his young days.. now he seems a bit out of it, I mean..let those (few) hair grow, man!
I like the portraits, the first one is the better.
They look happy. I saw the interview with them where he said he wanted to give her the opportunity to see what royal life was like before they got married and let her decide if she wanted to opt out if it wasn’t for her. Very sweet man.
Great pictures. Yes Ron I saw that interview too. He said that is why he waited so long to propose, so she could back out after seeing what royal life was really like. Barbara Walters said they have been living together for years.
I really wish he had gotten her a different ring though.
I wish them the best- and the top picture is adorable. I think that the Royal Family needs some new blood, some modernization (within reason). Kate will be a good addition to that family.
First photos of her in which she doesn’t look like she’s a hard 40 year old. She looks great in that formal portrait (love the dress) but it looks like William AND the background have been Photoshopped in!
LOL@ the “ugly paws” comment! Kate has pretty hands and William suffers in comparison.
And yes, they have both had their teeth whitened.
ah, he looks like 50 and she’s a drunk and looks it.
Still kinda cute but let the overkill begin.. no more Fcukingam Palace, plz!!
( yeah, I understand the irony since I posted a comment:P
Cute!
I totally love her dress, much better of the blue one she wore during the engagement press conference, and God Diana’s ring is HUGE!
She looks truly happy as every normal girl, I hope the Windsor don’t ruin her.
Is it my impression or William got some photoshopped hair?
The informal shot shows such joy and happiness! I can’t help but want to smile back at them.
Even the formal picture shows how close they are. Usually the formal photos show the couple standing next to each other, just touching, but here they are almost embracing.
oh they should have done the pictures outside!! Like that Monaco Prince (name escapes me) and his fiancee did. Though I realize it’s cold in the UK now so maybe not.
The relaxed picture is awesome and the formal one is nice too. William did the right thing by making Kate wait so long. Honestly his parents barely knew each other before they got married. We know for sure William doesn’t have some feelings for some other girl. It’s only Kate and he made sure of that!
That’s about the best I’ve seen her look, although she does need to tone down the eyeliner. Maybe she’ll get a makeup artist now. But they look very happy and cute!
@hellen lol My thoughts exactly! In every pictures where the lighting isn’t so soft, she looks soooo old and plain. These are the first pictures I’ve seen of her where she looks really pretty.
I don’t think Will will have a problem if Kate outshines him. He doesn’t seem to care to have that spotlight.
Sometimes I think that if he wants to be “normal” so much, why not just nix the whole royals thing. Do people in England enjoy supporting their lifestyle? What do royals do besides photo ops these days?
i think it’s great. i hope these two get a chance to improve the royal image and lead constructive, positive lives.
I think the first one is much better than the second. It’s one more for them than the press.
Love the photos, I think they look great together. Kate looks very pretty.
Sweet-and I bet William didn’t have to stand on some riser to create the height difference!
Just remember, Kate, you are marrying into the most dysfunctional family in the world, but your man loves you and will listen to you and protect you because of the person his mother was and the pain he witnessed her go through because of Dear Old Dad and the rest of the royal family.
Oh, and feel free to take a Valium or two, Kate, before you have to go sit and listen to the Queen. It’s-okay.
Gorgeous dress, and they both happy and gorgeous.
But for Testino, they’re not very good photos – and he’s been photographing Wills since he was a nipper! The top photo is all lovely and informal, but there does seem to be motion blur, or even a bit out of focus. I wouldn’t mind, but cameras and pro-lenses cost more than my car, individually. I’d be embarrassed to let anything like that out from my humble EOS450.
I am appauled by their bahvior to tell you the truth. the cost for teh wedding isnt coming out of their pokets but the people and that is beyond shameful. The poor kids and students have nothing and they are expected to contribute? The money for this wedding should go to all those universities. They pull funding out of all the programs and then tax the students 9000 pounds. Which to people in teh US isnt a big deal but when you add the fact that those kids were barely making by with 3000 pounds that number is actually so unethtica one wonders if this is the tories way of making Uni just for the elite. Keep all your kids and grandkids as serfs. The royal family are no different. The queen herself literally owns half the world so just imagine how much money that is alone – and dont fool yourself into thinking she isnt getting a cut. By just removign the royals and not paying then a blind tax or just having teh ability to choose where the tax goes would improves their lives.
This is just discusting of them. Shame on anybody who thinks this is alright at the expence of students and the working class.
Both pics are lovely — but you are right — the first is just adorable!
I hope they will be very happy.
They both look happy. And yes, Katie’s shining eyes look like she’s thinking: He loves me, He loves me!
I don’t think either one of them were in a hurry to get married. Who says Katie was impatient? They both know they will be expected to produce a child in the next year. THAT’S the reason for royal marriages. They wanted to grow up a bit, have a little life of their own and who can blame them?
Princess Diana used to wear a ton of eyeliner too, and I don’t recall anyone scolding her about it…
I think Kate is wearing a bit too much dark eye makeup for the occasion. When I think of dark eye makeup, I think it’s more suitable for the evening or a night out. Otherwise the pictures are nice and they look happy.
The “ugly paws” comment was hilarious! I hadn’t noticed at first, but his hands are quite unattractive!
Very sweet photos. Have we ever seen so much unfeigned affection from the Royal Family??
@ Viper – I believe her parents, who are millionaires are paying for the majority of this wedding. And the rest of the wedding is being being funded by Charles and his personal money.
From what I’ve heard, and I can be wrong, that the only thing that is being paid for by the tax payers is the security. Which is completely acceptable, IMHO, and extremely needed. Especially now.
holy photoshop
He sort of needs a makeover. Maybe a gotee?
The pics are really nice. It does look like Kate’s baggy eyes have been photoshopp’d though – she doesn’t look the same as she does au naturel.
I prefer the second pic – Will’s left hand appears to be grasping Kate in an unnatural way in the first pic.
BEIGE ALIENS.
I have to say I don’t have much love for these overprivileged units. Perhaps lot of Americans don’t quite get the parasitic realities of their existence, and at a time in the UK when university fees have just tripled and 100s of 1000s of people are about to lose their jobs, I think it’s bad taste to have a $$$$$ wedding at the taxpayer’s expense.
It’s not that Im against celebrating your heritage, because the British royal family is a continuum worth keeping, it’s just that those rich f*cks should be paying their own way.
photo-shop much? Wills looks like he’s been sandblasted into infancy.
One true love! When the time comes, they should by pass Prince Charles and make William and his lady love, Kate… King and Queen of England.
i love these pictures. i keep coming back to look at them because they are so cute.
To those that are complaining about the cost of the wedding. Once you factor in the sale of television rights and increased tourism, the wedding will pay for itself.
As for the cost of the Royal family as a whole… Both Italy and France for example, spend more money on their Presidents that we do on our monarchy. Britain getting rid of its monarchy will NOT provide more money for its rampaging students.
Honestly for those complaining about the cost of the wedding-isn’t the family paying for the wedding itself? I know the security will be handle by the police, but those folks were going to be paid their yearly income anyway so it’s not like it’s a extra burden on the taxpayer. Not to mention the fact that the royals are one of the biggest tourism draws in the UK. Plenty of foreign tourists from Japan and the US come there strictly to see palace X or go on some royal bus tour.
“I guess 9 years of clinging does work, after all.”
LOL, so THAT’S where I’ve been going wrong. The photos are beautiful, but throw that much money and photoshopping at anyone and they’re going to look great.
Thank goodness the Royal Family and most specifically The Queen learned from the marriage of Charles and Diana that LOVE is the most important ingredient in a marriage. That two people should WANT to be together.
The movie The Queen with Helen Mirren was facinating when they showed all the the Queen learned from Charles and Diana’s unhappy marriage and then especially the public outcry over Diana’s tragic death. I think that really changed the Royal Family forever.
So thank God the prince was able to chose his OWN future wife. I think that more than anything will assure their future happiness.
And people snarking over her eye make-up….come on! Give the poor woman a break. How would you like to have your make up, your wardrobe and every word that comes out of your mouth in the public arena to be criticized and mocked? Not cool.
I think she’s beautiful, the photos are lovely and I hope they will be very happy.
awww, so cute
@crash2go2: you said “Princess Diana used to wear a ton of eyeliner too, and I don’t recall anyone scolding her about it…”
Actually they did! I remember clearly Diana being bashed because she would wear blue eyeliner and the media just beat her up about it. She didn’t care, though, and continued to do what she wanted to do. I hope that the new princess doesn’t give in to pressure and just continues to be herself-even if it means wearing more eyeliner that some people think she should. Regardless, she is lovely and they make a sweet couple.
‘Another insider tells Us: “He wants to spend the rest of his life with her.”’
well no shit, Sherlock. He only proposed marriage to her. who writes this crap??
in spite of all my NOT-NICE thoughts about Kate… i have to admit, these portraits are really nice. maybe will give up on hating her. *maybe* ; ))
Wow they look so cute! I love the first photo! Can’t wait til the wedding!!!
I like the first picture, but I don’t like the way Kate is looking off to the side.
I’m just amazed that she PAYS someone to make her hair look like that.
I hope they’ll always be as happy as they are now (or happier)!